What I’ve Been Watching Again

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First off – No, I haven’t seen “The Avengers” yet. My spouse went with his brother while out of town and then the day after that I was out of town sooooo they saw the movie, but I did not. Perhaps soon.

What I have been watching otherwise though will be discussed below.

A while back I watched a documentary about PT 109. I knew that JFK had been on that vessel, but I didn’t know much about him as a young man or what really happens so this was a very informative movie for me to watch. I also liked how they tied in a personal story (the documentarian’s personal connection to the story). I like to tell my students to try that with their potentially “boring” writing :)

Next up was the documentary Trudell. I only knew this was a documentary about a poet, but I didn’t know about his tie-in to Native American activism. Years ago when my husband and I went to Alcatraz in San Francisco I heard about the Native American’s taking over the island for a time, but now I had a face to put with that movement. An interesting watch.

In a very different vein, a while back – when my brother-in-law was visiting – we went to see the film The Raid which was a pretty good modern example of the fight/martial arts movie.

Then for something also different how about some classic Tim Conway skits on Netflix?

And, back to the documentaries with a PBS one on The Greely Expedition which is another topic I only had a passing knowledge of. I love documentaries that show you some of their research – here letters that people in the expedition wrote.

Another PBS documentary I spent time with was The People’s Palace which is a fascinating look at the history of and present day incarnation of the Public Library of New York. I don’t spend as much time with the library now, but I LOVED the library when I was a kid.

My husband and I like to watch such a variety of things, but we are both fond of comedy specials. I decided to watch a Janeane Garafalo one largely because she intrigues me. She is one of the only celebrities that people think I look like. Who have you been told you look like?

Several items we had saved to watch on Netflix were getting ready to expire so a few things I watched recently (like Greely) were watched largely because of the “due date.” One of those was Titan A.E. I was surprised that this movie didn’t hold up. I love Sci-Fi and I love animation but this movie just comes across as a weak impersonation of a Disney movie. The animation is pretty impressive but the story itself – eh. Oh well, at least I didn’t pay to see it in the theater!

So here are some of mine. What have you been watching? Let’s share and discuss.

Make Friday Write

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Welcome to exam week! What can you re-examine? My composition classes have had to read from their portfolios like a mini presentation/reading. That has been fun. I have one more today. My final exam is on Monday for my British Lit class. That will be an oral exam on “Gulliver’s Travels.” The online creative writnig class doesn’t have an exam but I’m still waiting on a few portfolios. One good thing about finishing up exams, besides the obvious end of the semester, is that my schedule is back to being a little more flexible – thus – why I am here bright and early.

I’m gonna post my poem in progres first and then some other links:

–time to revise!

This is very new, as I drafted it on Wednesday and it hasn’t been through any type of revision. I want to work in more play on the senses since I noticed – on reviewing - that sight and touch are already there.

As always feel free to post your own work in progress in comments and/or to comment on mine and/or anyone else’s. I will take down my work and work by anyone else a week from now.

This weekend I’ll be heading to Asheville for Wordfest. I’ll be reading with two other poets on Sunday at 3pm at Malaprop‘s books. I love reading at Malaprop’s, well, and just being in the Asheville area. Such a terrific city. There are other events all weekend so this would be a great time to head into the NC mountains. My publisher sent copies of “Fat Girl” but I have to decide if I want to promote other books. I had the same question with myself yesterday when I dropped off copies of “Fat Girl” at a local indie bookshop: Park Road Books. I know these are good problems to have, but most stores want you to be promoting one book so that each time you read you are promoting something different. I’ll probably keep to that rule and read more from “An Amateur Marriage” at open mikes until I book other readings later this summer and year.

Which reminds me . . . need a poet? :) Have a great weekend!

A Family Reading

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On Saturday I had the pleasure of being one of several readers representing Sibling Rivalry Press at the Decatur Branch of the Library outside of Atlanta, Ga.

Local poet Collin Kelley was the first to read a poem from his book that SRP will release, I believe, next year. He served as MC. The picture I have included is of publisher Bryan Borland and his publishee and long time friend(both came in from Arkansas) Loria Taylor. They did a terrific “duet” of poetry together.

Also on the docket was Stephen Mills (Orlando), myself, Teresa Davis (local spoken word artist), and Megan Volpert (who organized the event).

We had a nice group of around 20 people – I think – I didn’t get a definitive head count, but what I loved was the variety of voices. Although I think Megan pegged it will when she said that all the readers had at least one connection (outside of the same publisher) that they all have something that haunts them. Even if you write about happy things at the very least it is the need to share your words that haunts you.

This Sunday I’ll be reading in Asheville at Malaprop’s bookstore as part of their monthly Poetrio series. Starts at 3pm. There is also a whole festival of words this weekend in Asheville called Wordfest if you are in the area. I also have two readings booked in June but nothing for July. Anyone need a poet?

Make Friday Write

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Woo hoo it is Friday! Last full week of the semester. I’m exhausted but feeling a bit excited about the prospect of – while not really taking a lot of breaks a I have lots I want to do – the sleeping in portion of summer is fast approaching. Old people love their sleep :)

I had some fun the other day finally making a breakthrough on my poem organization which includes a project I’m calling “the painter” for now. One of the 10 poems in what I hope will be a chapbook is in the current edition of Pirene’s Fountain. Also while I was doing my re-org I finally decided what to do with all my poems that have been published but aren’t in any particular collection. This means poems I don’t think will ever end up in a specific collection including things I wrote *shudder* and had published *double shudder* in small places in my teens. Some of these have NEVER been online before. The project is called the sundries. What is cool about doing this as a blog format is that I can pull ones off If I do put them in a collection or add more!

So I’m not exactly writing what I know which Sandra Beasley has an interesting discussion of on her blog.  And if you didn’t get enough of what I supposedly know why not read an interview with me about writing spaces etc? Or if you want to actually SEE me in person and you are near Atlanta I’ll be one of several Sibling Rivalry Press readers at the Decatur Public Library from 3-5 tomorrow. Yep. TOMORROW. Here is an interview with one of the other writers who will be there.

The other project I have is more of a full length tentatively called Job2. I know, exciting right? Here is the latest poem I put together for that in a very early draft. As always feel free to post your work in progress and/or to comment on mine or others in comments. I will take mine down and any others posted in a week.

I have other things I could possibly post today but this blog is over 500 words! Let’s stay short: like me :)

–time to revise!

What We Are Watching

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Tuesday you had a blog post about some of what I have been reading so I thought I’d report in a bit on what I have been watching as well.

  • Fagbug This one is a hard one to put my finger on. I feel terrible for the young woman whose car was vandalized but I was impressed with her idea to travel around the country driving the vandalized car. There were times, however, when the documentary felt a bit hmmm well let’s say at one point she complains that some people have accused her of just using what happened as a way to have a vacation. Ok there is a bit of that, but the documentary does become stronger further in. In either case it was an interesting watch and a hope that perhaps people can just learn to be a little bit more kind and tolerant.
  • I often talk about how we (consciously or unconsciously) find ourselves drawing what, at first, may seem like unlike entities together. I just made the connection now with another documentary I watched called Off and Running which is a coming of age story of a female black teenager who was raised by a Jewish lesbian couple. Besides the gay connection, both of these documentaries have something to say about identity and the “tribes” we belong to by genetics and/or choice.
  • So now that I made those connections I’m looking at my list of what I last watched and wondering if I can make any others which makes me ask: isn’t this – in some ways – how I create poetry?
  • How about the documentary A Man Named Pearl which makes me want to drive the two hours to Bishopville, SC to see this self taught artisans topiary work. And, I might just do it someday. I like how he tells some art students how he doesn’t sketch. That isn’t part of his process. When I teach (composition or creative writing) I try to emphasize “ways.” Maybe I like to free-write as a way to pre-write maybe other people make picture clusters or brainstorm. But, I think we all should try different things until we find what works for us.
  • And speaking of writers and creating. I decided to watch the movie Limitless. The movie itself was actually pretty interesting from a stylistic and concept point of view, but it did make me sad that the main character, a writer, goes from wanting to write to being obsessed with money *le sigh*, but I can’t say that isn’t what I did in my 20′s when I gave up on writing for a good 5 years for my “career.”

What have you guys been watching or taking in? Seen any of the above and want to discuss?

As always – join the conversation :)

Recently Read

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I like to share what I have been reading. I used to do so via reviews first on Amazon, then for a variety of litmags, and also on Goodreads. I’ve decided, however, to talk about books a bit more informally right here on my blog. Here are a few I rounded up recently.

First up is Dead Glass by Tom Mahony is a Folded Word micro publication. These stories come together to form a bigger whole but you can pause on each twitter length segment as well. This is also wonderfully illustrated and is either available in a small handmade edition (1st press run sold out and a 2nd is running) or e-book. I have a first run hand-made edition but now I’m tempted to get the e-book as well.

Speaking of e-books I finished two recently. The first was The Year of the Flood by Maragret Atwood. It was kind of strange reading that book because I read the companion book “Oryx and Crayx” years and years ago.  In many ways I actually like TYOTF better than O & C. I found the characters more engaging and theirs was a story I wanted to hear because O & C felt like it ended with a cliffhanger. If you haven’t read either you might want to read them simultanteously. I think that would be interesting to do.

I also finished Stiff by Mary Roach which had been on my list for a long time. Mary makes scientific writing interesting. I could easily see myself using some of her work in my classes to show students what you can actually do with research. This isn’t one for the squeamish though. There aren’t pictures but there are well-written descriptions of cadavers in various states of decomposition.

Last up in paper was Cornelia Funke’s The Thief Lord. In many ways I am actually surprised that I read this book because the first book by Funke I read (Inkheart) I wasn’t overwhelmed with. I liked her imagination and ideas though so I decided to read another one of her books. I really loved “The Thief Lord.” It is one of those young adult books that would be a great read for a variety of ages. The chapters are nice and short so it would make a great before bed read as well. I’ve now added Funke back to my list of authors I’ll read more work from – just not the rest of the Inkspell series I guess.

I still have several other books in my reading stack and in my to read piles so I’ll be checking back in to go over some more. What have you guys been reading?

Make Friday Write

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I wasn’t sure if I was going to find the time to post my Friday blog, but it has become such a ritual to share what I’m working on, reading, watching etc. And, I LOVE to hear what you guys have been up to.

  • Here is a very powerful essay that discussions a writer’s personal response to The Hunger Games
  • I have a big round up of documentaries that each, in some way, tie into the movie and celebrity. There is Strictly Background about those who try to make a living just playing those small, no name parts. Double Dare which is not about the kids game show but was about female stunt women. Very interesting. And then how about Almost Elvis about those who try to work as professional Elvis impersonators. Or maybe you’d be more up for For the Love of Dolly which follows some pretty “dedicated” fans of Dolly Parton’s. And last, but not least, American Scary which had somewhat annoying audio (just bad/cheap audio?) but made me think back to my childhood and our local horror host: Dr. MadBlood. Do you remember yours? What I thought with each of these was of how people are always trying to find a way to have some kind of shared experience no matter what your hobby/habit/passion ends up being.

I won’t get into the books right now because I only have a few and I am going to try and do a separate post about them. I had a pretty busy week which was further complicated (yet also fun!) by being Freshly Pressed which meant over 10K views in a manner of days! That (oh poor poetry) did not translate into book sales, but it was still interesting to meet a lot of new virtual people.

The poem I started during last Sunday’s writing marathon is posted below. Feel free to comment on it and/or to post your own work in progress. I will take down my work and anything posted in comments one week from today. And a small side note. A poem I posted recently “Visions of the Monster” was revised and sent out. It received some positive feedback on a recent rejection so that YOU GUYS for helping me to keep that poem going.

–goodbye poem! Time to revise